Access and delivery partnership

Photo: Brian Sokol/UNDP South Sudan

TB, Malaria and neglected tropical diseases account for more than 11% of the global disease burden. They disproportionately affect lower and middle income countries, as well as the poor and communities of marginalized populations. Despite the adverse impact of these diseases on human life and national economies, few new therapeutic products have been developed over the last decade to address them.

The Access and Delivery Partnership is an initiative, established in 2013, supported by the Government of Japan. The partnership was established to enhance capacity of low- and middle income countries to access and introduce new health technologies for TB, malaria and neglected tropical diseases. The initiative is led by UNDP in partnership with the WHO Special Programme for Research and Training in Tropical Diseases and PATH.

Introducing new health technologies requires specific policies and legal frameworks as well as capacity to develop and maintain efficient supply and delivery systems. The partnership supports countries to develop sound policies and laws for expedited access and delivery; it strengthens the countries capacity to identify and address health system needs and safety concerns; it facilitates the formulation of appropriate health technology pricing and financing policies; and finally, it strengthens national capacity in supply chain and delivery systems.

For example, in Indonesia, the partnership has been working with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to develop an integrated approach for addressing TB, malaria and neglected tropical diseases. The partnership has strengthened the capacity of staff from the Ministry of Law and Human Rights to integrate public health perspectives into the policy and legal frameworks that impact affordable access to health technologies, domestic research and development, and pharmaceutical production.